Prawn ravioli with bisque sauce recipe

Method

1. To make the pasta dough, tip the flour onto a clean work surface and form it into a mound. Make a deep well in the centre and add the whole eggs and egg yolks. Using a fork, gently beat the eggs, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges until it forms a rough dough. (You could also make the dough in a food processor, pulsing it until combined.)
2. Use your hands or a bench scraper to gather any remaining flour and work it into the dough. Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and combined. Wrap tightly in cling film and leave to rest at cool room temperature for 20 minutes, or in the fridge up to overnight.
3. Unwrap and knead for a further 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. Re-wrap and leave at room temperature while preparing the filling.
4. For the prawn filling, twist and remove the heads and peel away the shells and tail, keeping these for the bisque. Use a cocktail stick to remove the waste vein from the back of the prawns, discard these. Finely chop the peeled prawns until they form a coarse paste (you could also whizz them in a food processor).
5. Put the prawns in a bowl with the egg white, lemon zest, double cream and chopped thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper and mix until fully combined. Chill until needed.
6. For the bisque, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the prawn heads and shells and fry for 3-4 minutes until they turn pink. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the brandy and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the alcohol smell has disappeared. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until reduced by roughly one-third and darker in colour.
7. Blend the bisque until as smooth as possible then strain it through a fine sieve, pressing firmly to extract all the flavour, but leave behind the crushed shells. Return the strained bisque to a clean pan and simmer gently until slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter until you have a glossy sauce then cover to keep warm.
8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the cherry tomatoes in a roasting tray with the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 15–20 minutes until softened, blistered and lightly caramelised.
9. To shape the ravioli, divide the dough into quarters and work with one quarter at a time, keeping the rest covered in the cling film. Roll each piece through a pasta machine multiple times, starting with the thickest setting and gradually reducing it until the pasta is thin enough to almost see through. After each turn through the machine, fold the dough and repeat at the same thickness before decreasing, sprinkling some flour over the dough every now and then to ensure it doesn’t stick.
10. Lay 1 sheet of pasta on a lightly floured surface. Use a round cookie/pastry cutter (7-8cm) to indent circles all along the sheet of the dough (you should have about 12 in total). Spoon or pipe about 2 tsp of the prawn filling into a small mound in the centre of each marked circle. Use your fingers to lightly dab water around the filling, to the edge of the marked circles. Lay a second pasta sheet over the top of the piped on pasta sheet and press firmly around each mound to remove air pockets and seal.
11. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the ravioli for 2-3 minutes, until they float and the pasta is tender. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to lift the pasta out of the water and into the bisque pan, stirring to coat in the sauce.
12. Carefully spoon the ravioli into serving bowls and spoon over the prawn bisque sauce. Divide the roasted tomatoes between the bowls. Scatter over some thyme leaves and a little extra lemon zest if you like.

• Tip: Keep the pasta dough offcuts to cook the next day and serve with pesto or butter. Sprinkle them with plenty of flour and keep on a tray wrapped in cling film in the fridge.

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